Fresh Tart

Mushroom Soup with Chicken, Broccoli & Pumpkin Seeds

FreshTartSteph — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:36:59 PST

Happy New Year! It's time for vegetables! I know that I don't really need to explain why, given universal post-holiday puffiness and such. For me, all sorts of high-carbohydrate, gluten-free grainy flours made their way into my diet and while festive, I certainly noticed how 1) tired, and 2) starving it all made me feel. Sometimes it takes little reminders that what works best - and for me that's not just gluten-free, but primarily grain-free eating - is exactly what works best. Hey.

As a bonus, all of the foods that make me feel and look like myself - high quality meats, fish, vegetables, eggs, nuts, fats, and small amounts of dairy and fruit - are all of my favorite foods anyhow.

So 2013, let's lead off with soup! I'll confess I didn't plan this one out, it sort of made itself out of the fridge. I'm quite sure that you could use vegetable broth, and skip the chicken, and enjoy this as a vegetarian treat. Dried porcini mushrooms make the broth - and everything - delectably meaty, for very little effort. When you're making up a soup, keep in mind that the most satisfying soups are texturally layered - this version is brimming with tender chicken, chewy mushrooms, crisp broccoli, with crunchy nuts to finish. That's how I like it! Kablam!

I hope you all enjoyed holiday time with family and friends. We hosted Christmas Eve here with my mom and sister Stacey. Escargot, beef stroganoff, braised cabbage with caraway seeds, and baked lemon pudding made up our holiday feast and uff da, it was indeed a feast.

Christmas Day we made our annual trip out to my aunt Mary & uncle Bruce's lovely farm west of Willmar. More beef - rib roast, yes! - snuggled up against mashed potatoes, beets, Brussels sprouts salad, topped off with my aunt Marge's famous cheesecake for dessert. More uff da. So worth it. So much sparkly, cozy fun!

I'd say the tree is put away and everything is back in its usual place, but...hell no. We also hosted a New Year's Eve party, and my birthday is tomorrow, so sometime this coming week will have to do. In the meantime, here's to a delicious and healthy 2013! Fresh Tart turns 7 years old tomorrow, pretty crazy, thank you so much for reading along with me for all these years!

xo Stephanie

Mushroom Soup with Chicken, Broccoli & Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 4

I'll confess that I gilded the lily by adding fried sage leaves as a garnish along with the pumpkin seeds and mushrooms. Totally not necessary, but if you're as crazy about fried sage as I am, fry it in the butter you toast the pumpkin seeds in (sage leaves first, remove them, add the pumpkin seeds, toast away) until a little bit browned. Killer.

1 c. + 1 quart chicken broth
1-6 oz. package dried porcini mushrooms
5 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
sea salt
1/2 c. heavy cream (optional)
handful arugula leaves (optional)
1 c. broccoli florets
1 c. bite-size chicken pieces (I pulled apart a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 c. raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan, heat 1 c. chicken broth until steaming. Remove from heat and stir in porcini mushrooms. Soak for 30 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Scoop mushrooms from broth with your hands, squeezing liquid back into the pan. Chop mushrooms and set aside. Strain broth through a coffee filter into a small bowl and reserve.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. of the butter over medium heat until melted and foaming. Str in onion, carrot, celery, garlic, dried thyme, and a pinch of salt. Stirring occasionally, saute vegetables until beginning to soften, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and quart of chicken broth. Simmer broth and vegetables until vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes.

While soup simmers, in a small skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. butter over medium heat until melted and foaming. Stir in pumpkin seeds and toast seeds, stirring frequently, until seeds are golden brown. Transfer seeds to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp. butter to skillet and return to medium heat. Add the chopped porcini mushrooms and a pinch of salt and saute until starting to crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a blender, puree vegetables and stock in batches with arugula leaves (if using), returning pureed soup to the saucepan.

Heat the pureed soup over medium heat until simmering. Add broccoli and cook for 5 minutes, until broccoli is tender-crisp. Stir in cream (if using) and chicken and heat for a couple of minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve hot with toasted pumpkin seeds and sauteed porcini mushrooms, topped with several grinds of black pepper.

Farmily

FreshTartSteph — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:42:56 PST

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I love visiting my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce's farm in west-central Minnesota. If you're a new reader - welcome! - and here's why:

Beauty. Stillness.

Warm, buttery scones with softly scrambled eggs and browned sausages.

Made by Mary, not me. (Yes.)

Fun and games.

Vegetable soup loaded with chicken, leeks, turnips, kielbasa, beans, and fresh thyme. I craved another bowl within 15 minutes of leaving their house. You would have too.

Made by Mary, not me. (Yes.) Recipe below.

Cool cold beer(s).

Pretty things.

Funny, sweet, very polite dogs. Hi Cody. (He did not get a sandwich. But I did. Sorry man.) More in the gallery, below.

Vegetable Soup

Mary Felt

Serves 10-12

3/4 lb. Polish sausage, sliced

1 broiler/fryer chicken (2-3 lbs.)

8 c. water

2 leeks, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 large turnip, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 c. shredded cabbage

2 c. cooked navy or great northern beans

In a skillet, cook the sausage until done. Drain on paper towels; set aside. In a large Dutch oven, cook chicken in water until juices run clear. Remove chicken; let cool. Strain broth and skim off fat. Return the broth to Dutch oven.

Add leeks, carrots, turnip, onion, potato, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones and cut into bite-size pieces; add to the Dutch oven. Add cabbage, beans, and cooked sausage. Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Asian Chicken Soup Bowl

FreshTartSteph — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:44:56 PST

What? I didn't know what to call this...sort of had the concept of hot pot in my mind, but since each person builds their own version, it's more a bowl thing than a pot thing. Anyhow, whatever it is, it's delicious, and fun for a crowd. As I've mentioned too many times before, I make rather deconstructed food on Wild Wednesdays to accommodate the varying tastes of the family. Beef stroganoff, sauce on the side. Spaghetti with meat sauce, meat on the side. Chicken Parmigiana, cheese on the side. I often throw a chicken soup in there, chicken and vegetables on the side.

But last night, since my aunt Mary & uncle Bruce were joining us for dinner, I decided to innovate a bit and add an Asian twist to the soup concept. I loosely had in mind Japanese udon soup, or a Chinese soup with little meatballs or wontons, so I riffed on that. I also wanted to create a healthy-meal-in-a-bowl, and something I could prepare ahead, so that we could eat right away and fly out the door to get the kids to religious school.

So here's what we had: a fragrant, lightly spicy chicken broth, with optional pork meatballs; thinly sliced tofu, chicken, and vegetables (cabbage, scallions, shitake, bell pepper, and snow peas); and thin noodles. It was delicious, and pretty (photo above doesn't do it justice since it didn't include the noodles - the vegetables and meatballs piled on top of the pasta are gorgeous), light-yet-filling...and fun to build and eat. Bonus: the leftover noodles in broth blow away any version of packaged ramen you've never had (photo right, with a squirt of sriracha); I plan to have them for lunch (meatballs and veggies are gone...shucks). Recipe here.

For dessert (we had guests; I pretty much only make desserts for guests), a chocolate cake with killer chocolate sauce - a pre-Valentine's Day sweet-for-the-mostly-sweet.

Yes, I Am Alive

FreshTartSteph — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:20:04 PST

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah, and Merry Christmas! Apparently an entire month has disappeared in a puff of puppy, bronchitis, travel, guests, 8th-grade basketball, and holiday decorating, shopping, and planning.

You can probably tell that I didn't host Thanksgiving dinner this year (given detailed posts in years previous, a snapshot overview here), but I did bake no-knead bread (crusty, delicious, beyond easy) and reprised the fantastic brussels with pancetta and dried cranberries that I tried for last year's feast. The key to the deliciousness is the pulled-apart brussels, which result in a pile of tender leaves that cook quickly and lose any bitterness. The result is so good, I've been asked to make it again for Christmas. Keep it in mind if you're itching for a new vegetable dish on your holiday table (it's pretty to boot).

I brought the bread and brussels out to Willmar for Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt Marge's lovely home. We had such a beautiful meal - turkey, sage dressing with sausage, mashed potatoes/gravy, sweet potatoes with fresh cranberries, brussels (above), wild rice salad with pine nuts and orange dressing, and bread. For dessert my cousin's wife Amanda made pana cotta with cinnamon apples, a delicious and light end to the feast. Puppy Louis and I spent two nights in Willmar, in fact, hanging with the fam, eating leftovers in the form of Marge's killer panini sandwiches, and spending Friday night at the farm (aka my aunt Mary's lovely home - my aunts have beautiful homes, what can I say?) for another gorgeous meal, this time green salad with pears and mustard vinaigrette, pork chops with cherry sauce, polenta, and green beans, with warm apple cake for dessert. Uff. Da. Clearly not a weekend of moderation, but that's Thanksgiving, and so it goes.

Right before Thanksgiving, John and I had a fabulous time in NYC, in town to celebrate our friend Bartley's birthday. We hit several favorite food highlights - the Gotham salad at Bergdorf Goodman, mushroom barley soup at E.A.T., truffles from La Maison du Chocolat, H&H everything bagels on our way to the airport. New tasties included hand-crafted drinks at the Surrey Hotel's chic new Bar Pleiades and a literal feast (crispy prawns, velvet chicken, orange beef, Peking duck, and totally craveable shrimp spring rolls) at Chinese hot spot Philippe.

Somewhere in there I got a nasty case of bronchitis which cut my cooking down to zero, other than scraping together a quick soup here and there. I'm coming back on line, however, slowly but surely. I made my first pot of New England clam chowder of the season a couple of nights ago, my goodness it tasted good. I make the Cooks' Illustrated version which is brothier and lighter than the typical, and more delicious (I think), I recommend it highly. I also bought a couple of hundred pounds (literally) of high quality beef from my stepmom's nephew Jay Taylor (thank you to my dad for driving it from Montana to Minnesota) and we've enjoyed tenderloin steaks already. And oh, John and I are hosting an open house for his partners on the 20th, part of which I'm having catered, but part of which I'll prepare myself. Stay tuned for menu ideas and recipes as I get my, um, stuff together.

And oh again! I'm not one for much holiday baking, but I am toying with the idea of trying the Star Tribune's 2009 cookie contest winner, Almond Triangles (photo at left by Tom Wallace for the Star Tribune) which I've heard several raves about already. They look decidedly un-moderate yet delicious and best of all, easy - yes! Perhaps for the open house. I'm also getting pressured by Nathan to bake cutout sugar cookies this year - most years he can take 'em or leave 'em (peanut butter kisses are his thankfully easy fave), but when he makes the request...I'm happy to step up. The trick is finding the time to actually prepare them, hmmm, perhaps Sunday afternoon. If we end up with anything interesting, I'll post some pics.

If you're looking for a great holiday gift idea, check out James Beard Award-winning, Minnesota Monthly food columnist/editor Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl's new book, Drink This: Wine Made Simple. If you don't read her column, and Dear Dara blog, you should because not only is she smart and hilarious, she knows food and wine, big time. She was on MPR last week with Rick Nelson (Star Tribune), hosted by Kerri Miller, respresenting an hour of laughs and info generated by three of the smartest, coolest people in Minnesota. Good stuff.

For now, the tree is up, my shopping is more than half done, and I'm feeling unusually on top of things (BIG knock on wood). Which is good, since Puppy Louis needs some extra TLC for a few days - he was neutered yesterday and is stuck wearing the cone of shame for the next week, poor little guy. Hope your holiday plans are falling into place better than Louis'... Good luck stealing some peace (and moderation!) amidst the cooking and baking and wrapping and partying and the general running around like crazy that happens to us all at this time of year. Stay warm!

We're Still Celebrating...

FreshTartSteph — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 12:36:19 PST

Holidays still going strong here at the Levy Hacienda... Let's see, we've pretty much been celebrating since Sunday when my bro and sis David and Etta accidentally arrrived - flying from NYC to Billings, MT, through Minneapolis, they missed their connection and couldn't secure another flight until Wednesday morning. Woo hoo! Well, not for them, but for Stacey, John, Nathan, Sasha, and me, it was a sweet little present. I had planned latkes for dinner Sunday night anyhow, and since latkes are a bit labor-intensive for just four people, it worked out quite perfectly to double our group (Stacey, Cooper, plus David and Etta) and have ourselves a little latke feast. We garnished with sour cream, skipped the apple sauce, and enjoyed every greasy, crispy, salty, glorious bite. Happy Hanukkah!

Monday we set out for some late shopping and stopped for a lovely meatball sandwich lunch at Broder's. Monday night I made one of my very favorite soups - Gourmet Cookbook fish soup with croutes and rouille. I don't think there's a better soup on the planet - brothy, spicy, bright, hearty-yet-light, it hits just about every possible note. It's also simple and pretty. Pretty perfect.

Tuesday night we feasted on glorious take-out from Taste of India. Then Wednesday morning David and Etta were off for Billings, sniff, and I switched into Christmas Eve mode. Stacey, Cooper, Bowen, and Mom joined John, Nathan, and me for a simple dinner and lots of presents. I stuck to a loosely Greek theme, with grilled pita, eggplant spread, olive spread, and raw veggies for a pre-din snack. For dinner I made a simple shrimp and orzo dish, recipe via Bon Apetit. And for dessert, a warm lemon souffle, big hit. Perhaps my all-time favorite dessert.

Christmas Day John and I made what has become our annual drive out to my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce's farm, about two hours west of the Twin Cities. We enjoyed a gorgeous, snowy drive and arrived to find the usual merriment - Mary and Bruce, of course, plus their sons Craig and Michael, and Michael's wife Amanda. Also my aunt Marge and Uncle Jim and their daughters Kim and Kelly. Also wine and appetizers and a roaring fire and two pretty trees and all sorts of good smells and conversation. Dinner 'round the giant table (top pic) was prime rib of beef, sour cream mashed potatoes, Harvard beets, and green beans sauteed with red pepper and pine nuts. I contributed crusty no-knead bread. And Marge contributed her perfect cheese cake, with strawberries, on plates lit by little candles (LOVE those candles!). After dinner we opened gifts (I laughed until I ached at my cousin Kelly's gift from Craig - James Lilek's Gastronomalies book, beyond hilarious) and played team Trivial Pursuits and then John and I drove home. (Honestly, John drove home and I dozed - I'm such a good travel companion....)

And then today, to keep the merriment going, John and I dug into one of my many beautiful presents, a tin of ca-vi-ar, oh yeah. I flipped crepes, minced some onion, and boiled and sieved a few eggs. John popped a bottle of champagne, pried open the tin, and we dug into a little slice of post-Christmas heaven. Holy Roly Poly Moly. I'm digesting as I write, then we're off to our third movie of the weekend (opened with Frost/Nixon yesterday, then wandered home to watch The Counterfeiters, then this afternoon we're out the door to see Milk). A champagne-n-caviar-fueled movie marathon? Um, yes.

Hope you're relaxing and enjoying your guests and presents and treats and the end of 2008 as well!

Happy Thanksgiving!

FreshTartSteph — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:43:45 PST

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I hope you had some fun cooking and/or eating, hanging with family and friends, feeling grateful for a good life. We sure did our best on this end, on many (!) fronts, and had a great time.

We've actually been celebrating for days, ever since I started meal prep on Monday (despite the muscle I pulled in my back hoisting the 16-lb. turkey in its two gallons of brine into the garage fridge on Tuesday, damn, but after some quick icing seem to have squeaked by without serious pain. Thank you turkey gods!) John's parents John & Dot arrived from NYC late-afternoon Tuesday. I made dinner here - steaks, wild mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach - and we all hit the hay pretty early.

Wednesday Dot and I set the tables, John and his dad went wine shopping, Rudy Maxa and Ana Scofield stopped by for a drink, and the fam enjoyed a lovely Frenchy dinner at Cave Vin - frogs legs, escargot, pommes frites, calamari, chicken, (more) steak. Delicious.

And then yesterday, of course, the big day. My aunts Marge & Mary, their husbands Jim & Bruce, and my cousin Kim drove in from western Minnesota. My cousin Craig flew in from DC. And my mom, Bowen & Cooper, our friend Harry, and both Nathan and Sasha were here to celebrate as well. Full house, full table(s), full plates, full tummies. Here's the menu:

pickled vegetables, cheeses, nuts

herb-roasted turkey & gravy
simple savory stuffing (this year I added chestnuts, leeks, and mild Italian sausage)
do-ahead sour cream m ashed potatoes
savory sweet potato casserole (Mary)
spiced cranberry mold (Mom)
brussels sprouts with p ancetta and cranberries (a new recipe this year - absolutely delicious, it's a keeper)
black-eyed pea salad (I made this up, used diced pickled vegetables with a mustard vinaigrette; nice)
no-knead bread

pumpkin cheesecake and pecan pie (Marge)
brownies (Harry)

John and his dad chose fruity pinot noirs to drink with the meal - good choice. Before dinner, since we ate on the early side (2 pm), John's dad made killer Bloody Mary's (both virgin and er, experienced) for the group. Tasted mighty fine with pickled vegetables and salty nuts, yum.

After pie(s) and coffee, everyone rolled away from the table for the usual digestive activities - walk, (watch) football, dishes, take your pick.

Today we'll put the kitchen back together, snack on leftovers (I already had brussels for breakfast - delicious), see a movie. Kitchen life returns to normal for at least a few weeks and I'm glad. Sure I love to cook, but 90% of the time it's the simplest fare, the everyday healthy no-recipe dishes. Which is what makes the holidays so fun - big cooking projects to plan and bury myself in, mwahahaha! But even I tire of all-cooking, all-the-time, and today, I am tired.

In a good way.

Are you?

Politically Correct Beef Burgundy

FreshTartSteph — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:17:00 PST

Hey friends, how's it going? I've actually had a couple of kind inquiries about my health due to my two-week bloggy absence - rest assured, everything's fine here, in fact great. My excuse? Um...total and complete obsession with the presidential election. I confess, I got bit hard by the political bug this cycle. I just love absorbing it, the strategies, the moves, the ins and outs, ups and downs. I have a limited amount of time each day I can allocate to being online and well, er, the election won over my blog. So not moderate, I know. But I'm back now, my guy won and since he seems to be moving on pretty well without my strategic advice, I'll let it go now. (In my next life I'll have to be a political operative, though, yeah...)

I wasn't all politics, all the time, however - I did actually feed my family. Even my extended family, when my cousin Peter, his wife Kristin, and their adorable twin daughters Erin and Emily came for a visit from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. My aunts Mary and Marge drove in too, and my cousin Kim, and we had a grand time last Saturday night catching up. Erin and Emily are two - yes, twin two-year olds, busy and clever and everywhere all at once, just as you might imagine. They both love to sing, especially Erin, and the stereo effect of twin toddler song is beyond cute. They regaled us with song and chat for more than a couple of hours at the dinner table, an impressive feat for two busy two-year olds. It was a complete blast.

I made beef burgundy, inspired by a lovely coq qu vin that John and I split at Salut Bar Americain last week (I believe it's their Monday night chicken special - I recommend it very highly). Great do-ahead dish, beef burgundy, although lengthy to prepare - split it into two days of prep and you'll be sitting pretty for your next dinner party. We opened with a simple salad, with parsleyed potatoes alongside the beef, and my aunt Marge's apple crisp for dessert. Uff da that was a meal. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

John and I in fact hit Salut twice in three days, no lie. Somewhere between Politico and Pollster, we fit in a lovely lunch at Salut's bar - steak frites with a glass of burgundy. Romantic, delicious, just lovely all 'round. I've had a French thing ever since - beef burgundy on Saturday, followed by a simple cheese souffle on Monday night. So airy and pretty, souffle, and so easy too. Tres bien.

Moderate it: if I'm serving potatoes, I don't also serve bread, although I did bend that rule a bit and put croutons in the salad I served as a first course.

FreshTartSteph — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:09:00 PDT

Happy Bunny to You! Ahh, home. Nathan and I got off the plane from San Francisco this afternoon and went straight to my Dad & Susanna's for Easter dinner with my aunt Mary & uncle Bruce, as well as Stacey& Cooper. Couldn't ask for a sweeter way to ease back in to winter, you know? Garlicky, crusty leg of lamb with cucumber-yogurt sauce; creamy, deadly pommes dauphinoise (a Meyer-family favorite, I believe originating with my aunt Jean, recipe posted in comments below); fresh, warm bread; salad with pears and pecans; and lemon pie with whipped cream. Yeah, the food in San Fran was incredible, but home does not suck when Susanna and Mary are cooking! Even after four consecutive 70-degree sunny days, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it is (mostly) good to be home - no small task, thank you Susanna & Dad!

So, back to San Francisco for a moment...Nathan and I opened our Food Adventure with a Chinese dim sum feast at Tian Sing, near our hotel and very tasty. Shatteringly crisp spring rolls, delicate steamed shrimp dumplings, pillowy-soft steamed barbecue pork baos, and garlicky, crunchy Chinese broccoli... Happy start indeed, woo hoo!

Thursday we hopped on a cable car to always-hoppin' Fisherman's Wharf. It just happened to be lunchtime, so we ducked into In-N-Out Burger before the madness hit (and oh did it hit, about three minutes after we ordered), a major highlight for Nathan. Easy enough to order at this California fast-food superstar - the menu consists of burgers and fries, baby, burgers and fries. Fresh beef + fresh-cut potatoes = deliciousness. We walked off the burger-y excess (ack) along the waterfront, cruising various piers, parks, and shops for the entire, sunny afternoon.

Friday we boarded a ferry for a tour of Angel Island and Alcatraz. The appropriately named Angel Island - as in, heavenly - is the largest island in the bay and pretty much one of the most stunning places I've ever seen. (Nathan and I ate a picnic lunch alongside this charming little cove, with a hill of fragrant eucalyptus trees behind us.) Alcatraz is stunning too, while at the same time entirely creepy and depressing. The audio walking tour is a must-do, lively and fascinating, narrated by gravelly-voiced former guards and inmates and punctuated with (very, sometimes overly!) realistic sound effects.

We made it back to the hotel just in time to be picked up for dinner by my cousin Blake, who lives in San Franciso proper with his wife Tegan, daughter Gracyn (5), and son Knox (3). Blake and Knox (only the boys were able to join us for dinner) whisked us off to Sausalito (over the Golden G ate Bridge, woo hoo!) for bay-side deliciousness at Fish. Nathan had his first fish-n-chips dinner ever (thumbs up), while Knox enjoyed "chicken"-n-chips (wink), and I downed yummy grilled-fish tacos.

Saturday, sweet Saturday, we toyed with the idea of renting a convertible to drive up the coast, through wine country hills, and back to the city to catch all the breath-taking sights and scents of rural NoCal. (We decided we needed two more days - one to drive north of the city, one to drive south, to visit my aunt Jean and uncle Del - Blake's parents - in Carmel. Next time...) But we settled on an even better idea, thanks to Blake's suggestion to head first thing for the famous Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. Oh Lord, if only we all had access to such glory! A beautiful bounty of fresh, locally grown produce and meat, available year-round (!), along the waterfront to make it, you know, ridiculously (painfully) gorgeous. Man, it was just insane. OK, I was just insane, walking around completely jealous of the locals casually buying fresh flowers, crusty bread, fresh pastries, organic meats, fresh fish and shellfish, artisanal cheeses, Napa Valley wines, local beers, fresh vegetables (including a whole stand of wild mushrooms!) and fruits. Picture our Minneapolis Farmers' Market (which I love) about twenty times more sophisticated and lovely. Foodie. Heaven.

And then...Mexican tasties (yes, here I go again), giddily ordered at Mijita Cocina Mexicana, a permanent cafe in the Ferry Building. Fresh, authentic, a little Mexican cafe like this would clean up in Minneapolis, don't you think? I mean, I know there are lots of yummy little taquerias around, which I've admittedly totally under-explored, but this place was so accessible, and so real, I couldn't help but sigh a bit knowing there wasn't quite an equal 'round these parts. Which is probably a good thing, in the name of moderation and such... (After chowing down on carnitas with tomatillo salsa; a fresh masa quesadilla filled with cheese, epazote, and roasted chiles; guac (of course); and chilaquiles drizzled with crema and served alongside creamy beans, we were a bit, uh, full. Good thing there's such a huge, cool Chinatown in which to walk off a Mexican feast!)

Soooo...as I said, we're back in the black-n-white photo we call home, and it's...good? Lovely Easter dinner definitely smoothed the transition. A good night's sleep never hurts. It's a little sad that Spring Break '08 will soon be but a happy memory, but hopefully a spring of our own is coming to distract us - soon?!

FreshTartSteph — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:51:00 PST

Well, we indeed did a big salad last night...right before I pulled a luscious, unctuous Gruyere souffle, studded with paper-thin slices of mushrooms and leeks, from the oven. Sooo good with a glass of LittoraiPinot Noir it was damn near illegal. Why souffle? Well, it's easier than it seems, gorgeous to behold, a lovely dinner for two (no timing pressure), The Kill to eat, and just plain fun to make and devour! I mean savor. Savor! Party in a pan, a souffle, party in a pan. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Tonight, party on the palate, bringing on the heat with Quick Chicken Gumbo. Not as hot tonight as the first time I made gumbo, oh so many years ago - with 1/4 cup (!) of cayenne pepper (major inexperienced misread of that recipe, ouch) - but hot enough to tingle, just right. I sauteed a little pan of okra separately as well, to keep it crisp, and used it as a garnish. Nathan looked at the okra very skeptically, but gave it a try, decided it was delicious, and dug in. YESSS when kids try new foods! Especially vegetables!

I have to confess I wasn't uber-hungry for dinner, after catching a late lunch with my aunt Mary. She was 'round these parts for a visit with our joint hair guru, Nisa at Spalon Montage. We met at Beaujo's Wine Bar in Edina, with lots of craziness to gossip and cackle about while digging into yummy lentil soup and chopped salads chock full o' roasted beets, blue cheese, pine nuts, and red onion. Beaujo's always delivers delicious, simple food, and a tasty wine list... Perfect fare for a cozy post-movie nosh, or much-needed sustenance in the midst of some pretty killer shopping.

And of course for a post-hairdo luncheon! Yay for my aunts getting their hair prettified here in the Minneapple!

FreshTartSteph — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:46:00 PST

Merry Christmas Day! We spent the occasion at my Aunt Mary and Uncle Bruce's lovely farm outside Kerkhoven, Minnesota, as we have for the l ast several years, lucky us. As always, it was picture perfect - twinkly-sparkly festive and the definition of Christmas-y as we all sat around the gorgeous, gigantic table they set up for the holiday each year. Truly a sight to behold. We shared a toast with a delicious red prosecco, then tucked into prime rib, mashed potatoes, beets with sour cream, buttery green beans with morel mushrooms, and roasted carrots and cipollini onions. Tender challah and crusty no-knead bread (my meager contribution). And my Aunt Marge's killer creamycheese cake with strawberries. Oh yes, quite a meal!

And then, we just sat enjoying the candlelit table, in that charming old farmhouse in the country, chatting and telling stories and reading letters and verses and half-laughing, half-crying through it all. I am so very lucky to have an incredibly cool and fun extended family, my dad's sisters Marge and Mary and their families. So thanks to them, and their fabulous husbands Jim and Bruce, as well as Kim, Kelly, Jomo, Michael, Amanda, and Craig for such a great day. And to Stacey & Cooper for driving John, Nathan, and me out and back (long drive!). And to Dad, Susanna, David, and Etta for making the day complete and completely perfect.

And oh! We feasted the night before as well, of course, Christmas Eve. Stacey, Cooper, Bowen, and my mom were here for gifts and a big fire and a quiet, simple dinner. The crab cakes and Julia Child's chocolate mousse were big hits (recipe for mousse posted in comments, below).

So. I can't decided if it's going to be a great relief or incredibly disappointing to return to Normal Eating. Probably a little of both. I'll let you know when I get there, cuz it sure ain't yet!

And oh again! Because it's adorable, and I'm perfectly unashamed to spice up my food-obsessed blog with a bit of Cooper Cuteness, here's a little video clip, below... Merry Christmas Auntie Etta!